This invention relates to an air conditioner for a recreational vehicle. As used herein, the term "recreational vehicle" is used broadly to refer to mobile homes, motor homes, travel trailers, vans, and other vehicles in which air conditioning is provided by mounting an air conditioner on the exterior of the vehicle.
Typically, an air conditioner for a recreational vehicle is mounted on the roof of the vehicle. An opening is made in the roof for delivering conditioned air from the evaporator coil of the air conditioner to the interior of the vehicle.
The invention provides an exhaust apparatus for the air conditioner for withdrawing stale air from the interior of the vehicle when the air conditioner is not operating. The exhaust apparatus includes a blower which is mounted on the housing of the air conditioner adjacent an exhaust opening in the housing. A door is hingedly mounted on the housing for opening and closing the exhaust opening, and a spring maintains the door closed when the blower is not operating. When the blower is operating, the air force created by the blower opens the door, and the blower draws air into the housing from the interior of the vehicle and exhausts it through the exhaust opening.
Air is exhausted from the vehicle through the opening for the air conditioner, and no additional holes are required. Since the exhaust apparatus is mounted on the air conditioner housing, no additional components are added to the vehicle roof on either the inside or outside of the vehicle.